Tillicum Vilage and Blake Island

For thousands of years Blake Island was an ancestral summer camping ground to Coast Salish tribes who lived on the coastal waterways of Puget Sound. The native tribes as a group are also referred to as the Lushootseed peoples.  (Lushootseed refers to the common language that was spoken throughout the region.) The heart of the island is Tillicum Village. Tillicum Village was built on 5 acres of the 475-acre state park and opened in 1962. Today, the Island has thousands of visitors who come to Tillicum for the world famous salmon bake and show or to camp, hike and explore the vast wildlife and beautiful beaches of this fascinating island.

The only way to reach the island is by boat, so we took the Argosy Tours boat that includes a traditional salmon bake and native entertainment. It's about a four hour trip and there is plenty of time after the dinner and entertainment for a little island exploring.

Land Ho!

It took about 45 minutes by boat, but there was a bar on-board, so no worries! Great Bloody Mary. When we arrived at the village, we were greeted by natives in traditional dress and bowls of fresh steamed clams, yummy.  We then had a few minutes to explore the long house. There were great exhibits of Salish artwork and ceremonial masks.

There was also a large area of open fires where the salmon was cooked in the traditional way. Over an alderwood fire. I have to say it was delicious. It was now time to enter the dining room for dinner and the show. There was great Salish story telling and dancers. Unfortunately, no photography was allowed inside. After dinner and the show, we had time to explore the island before returning to Seattle.  Quite a beautiful place to spend a Sunday afternoon.

A great park and camping area as well as a tourist attraction.

After we arrived back at the Seattle waterfront, we decided that it was still early enough to make a trip a few blocks up the hill and take in Pike Place Market. No trip to Seattle is complete without the market on your itinerary, and we had not yet taken Alex.

Sunshine

We have had a couple of days of that glorius and rare phenomenon known as sunshine.


 Happy sunshine on my face,


I love those warming golden rays.

Happy sunshine fills my eye,

When gazing up at the blue sky

Along the silvery water


Wooden boats sailed slowly

Accompanied by choir of bees

Which sounds melodious and sweet

The sunlight of the late afternoon shimmering on the water.

All of my thoughts are warmer and brighter in the sun. We had a fantastic weekend which included a trip to Charlies favorite place, Seahurst park.  There are always lots of friends for him to sniff at the park.

Lots of other folks had the same idea, and headed for the beach. The kids were swimming, even though the water temperature is about 65 degrees, Brrr. Seahurst Park is just north of our house along the beach. They have great trails, bar b ques and picnic pavillions and beach access. This makes it the favorite summer family spot on the weekends.

After the park and some errands around town it was time to go home and enjoy the beautiful day! Languishing in the warmth of the sunshine.

There were a multitude of boats racing around on the water and you could hear the sounds of summer drifting up the hillside from the beach below us.  The engine of the jet skis, the laughter of children as they played along the shore. The wind whipping at sailboats gliding by.  The waves lapping up on the beach.  

Finished off by a wonderful dinner of rib-eyes from B and E Meats, our local butcher shop and a nice bottle of wine. All in all a most wonderful day to spend with my love as the sun sank over the Olympic Mountains and into the clouds.

Goodbye dear sun, I hope to see you again soon!